PC Hardware → Replacement Li-ion battery and how to choose

I've got an old Dell Inspiron 1520 laptop that still works well enough for its intended use ('couch computer'), but the battery pack is dead.

Dell no longer seems to sell a replacement: searching for replacements by laptop model gives me 3 power adapters but no batteries.

3rd party replacement prices are all over the place, from about $18 to about $90. The reviews for the cheaper batteries on Amazon are likewise all over the place, including "died after 45 days" and (most worryingly) "caught fire".

So, how do I choose a good battery vendor? Anyone got any recommendations?

I'm somewhat price sensitive (old system, not worth a lot of outlay) but not totally so. What I really want is to buy a battery and not have to think about it for another 6 years

Here are some places that have a battery for your laptop:

»www.laptopbatteryexpress ··· 5212.htm

»www.amazon.com/Inspiron- ··· 01B8R03U

»www.ebay.com/bhp/dell-in ··· -battery

»www.walmart.com/ip/Lapto ··· 16595261

»www.staples.com/Lenmar-r ··· t_761466

»www.overstock.com/Electr ··· uct.html

There are many other sellers - just google "Inspiron 1520 battery"

You need to make a choice - 6 cell or 9 cell.
6 cell - cheaper but lesser charge capacity
9 cell - more expensive but greater capacity.

A couple of things to look for -

1) MaH rating - should be equal or greater than your current battery - Generally speaking, the greater the rating, the longer it will last on a charge.

2) Warranty from the seller - If only 30 days or such, I would avoid.

3) Try to steer clear of cheap chinese "compatable" batteries - they often have a short life time.

Thanks. The technical stuff I get; I'm just wondering how far I can trust (say) a $19 battery from Amazon.

For $19, About as far as you can throw it...

If it were MY laptop, I'd get the $59.96 one from Wal-Mart... It has a 1-yr. warranty, just be sure to keep the receipt and packaging.

-Tursiops_G.

I agree with Tursiops_G

I got an Anker-brand battery off Amazon for my Compaq laptop about a week ago. Good price, reviews. Consider checking Amazon for a battery from Anker that is compatible with your computer.

I bought this generic one for my daughters HP just over a year ago: »www.amazon.com/gp/produc ··· F8&psc=1 It's still going strong.

I found on eBay OEM batteries for your particular model.

The problem with lots of so-called OEM batteries on eBay (or any other ultracheap place) is that they are not new OEM batteries, their use ones that have been "Reconditioned". How reconditioning is done and how effective it is open to interpretation.

I've used Parts People for my wife's Dell Insprion 1720....
And I've been very pleased with them....
»www.parts-people.com/

I took the advice and ordered through Walmart. They sell 'Laptop Battery Pro' brand, which at least looks plausible, and Walmart's price is a little below everyone else's price for the same model. Best Buy also has the same brand; I'm assuming that endorsement by a large retailer at least eliminates the more egregious "catches fire" problems, even if it doesn't directly guarantee quality.

$60 seems about middle of the pack, price-wise, for a 6-cell. And it's an actual 5200 mAh device; some of the cheapy 6-cells are as low as 4400 mAh.

I chose new for the search criteria besides OEM.